Drapery hook inserter



April 1957 B. A. LAMBERT 2,789,287

DRAPERY noox INSERTER Filed Sept. 26, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

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United States Patent DRAPERY HOOK INSERTER Bruno A. Lambert, Honolulu,Territory of Hawaii, assiguor to George F. McMurray, Glendale, Calif.

Application September 26, 1955, Serial No. 536,652

4 Claims. (Cl. 1-47) This invention relates to a tool adapted tofacilitate the insertion of a pin-like member into fabric or the like,and is more particularly concerned with a hand tool adapted tocooperatively engage a drapery pin and make possible easy and quickinsertion of the pin into a drape or the like.

Draperies are formed of materials that are quite heavy and are generallyhemmed and gathered or pleated at or along their top edges to establishheadings, which headings are adapted to establish what is, in efiect, arelatively stiff body portion from which the remaining portion of thedraperies hang.

As a result of the weight and bulk of the material forming the headingsof a drapery and as a result of the necessary size and weight of thedrapery pins adapted to be engaged in and to support the draperies,considerable effort is required to insert or engage the drapery pinsinto the headings of the draperies.

Heretofore, persons, generally women, employed in the manufacturing ofdraperies have been required to grasp the drapery pins between theirfingers and to urge them into engagement with the draperies. Due to theefiort required to engage the pins in the draperies, and due to thelimited purchase a person can gain with their fingers on such pins, thetask of applying such pins to the draperies has been extremely slow andoftentimes painful to the person or persons confronted with the task.

The general object of the present invention is to prow'de a hand tooladapted to engage and carry a drapery pin for fast, easy insertion intoor with a drapery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the characterreferred to which will readily receive and release a drapery pin.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tool ofthe general character referred to having a head adapted to be slidablyengage in the mounting hook of a drapery pin and having an elongatehandle which is angularly related with the head so that it does notinterfere with the Work.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool of thegeneral character referred to which is both easy and economical ofmanufacture and which requires no special skill to use.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of a typicalpreferred form and application of the invention, throughout whichdescription reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the drapery pin tool provided bythe present invention and showing a drapery pin engaged therewith andengaged in a drapery, the drapery being shown in cross section. Fig. 2is an elevational plan view of the tool that I provide and showing adrapery pin engaged therewith. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of thetool that I provide and of a drapery pin, the head portion of the toolbeing shown in section and the pin being shown in position to be engagedwith ice the tool. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and showing adrapery pin of slightly different configuration, and a tool as providedby the present invention and shaped to accommodate the pin.

The tool provided by the present invention is adapted to releasablyengage and carry a drapery pin for insertion of the pin with a draperyor the like.

The ordinary or conventional drapery pin such as is shown in Figs. 1 to3 of the drawings, is formed of a single length of wire stock andincludes generally an elongate pin portion A adapted to be inserted intoa drapery, and a mounting hook portion B adapted to be engaged with somesuitable support for carrying the drapery in which the pin is engaged.The pin portion A of the drapery pin is provided with a straight shank10 having front and rear ends, a sharp point 11 at its front end and arecurvent hook-like stop 12 at its other or rear end and adapted tolimit engagement of the pin into the fabric of the drapery in which itis engaged.

The mounting hook B of the drapery pin is a rearwardly opening U-shapedpart projecting laterally from the shank 10 of the drapery pin andhaving an inner leg 13 continuing forwardly from the recurvent stop 12of the pin, an outer leg 14 extending substantially parallel with theinner leg, and a substantially rounded intermediate or bottom portion 15extending between and jointhe forward ends of the legs.

In practice, the inner leg 13 of the mounting hook B occurs adjacent oneside of the pin shank 10 and cooperates therewith to yieldingly hold orgrip the drapery fabric engaged therebetween.

The inner and outer legs 13 and 14 of the mounting hook B of theordinary drapery pin are generally rearwardly convergent, with theresult that the open end of the mounting hook is choked down, that is,the rearmost portion of the legs are closer together than the forwardportions thereof. As a result of the above, the possibility of the hookbecoming disengaged from the drapery supporting means with which it isengaged, is materially reduced.

In practice, the general proportions of the mounting hooks of draperypins are substantially the same, that is, the length and width isapproximately the same or stand ard. The reason for the above, is sothat any particular make of drapery pin can be cooperatively related toor with any one of the various makes, brands or kinds of draperysupporting means that are on the market or available, and which to agreat extent have been standardized.

In practice, the diiferences in the shapes of various drapery pins isbrought about for the most part, by the differences in the size or gaugeof the wire stock from which they are made. For example, when draperypins are formed of light weight or small gauge wire stock, the mountinghooks thereof are substantially rounded, in the manner of the pin shownin Fig. 4 of the drawings. On the other hand, when heavier gauged wirestock is employed to make drapery pins, the mounting hooks thereof aregenerally more angular, such as is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of thedrawings.

The tool provided by the present invention, which is adapted tofacilitate insertion of drapery pins into draperies or the like, is anextremely simple unitary structure formed as by casting or the like, andincludes generally, an elongate body C having front and rear ends andestablishing a suitable handle, and a head D at the front end of thebody and engageable in or with the mounting hook of a drapery pin.

The head D is an elongate member integrally joined to the body or handleC, and is characterized by a central portion 20 extending longitudinallythereof and corremounting hook of an ordinary or standard drapery pin,

and side portions 21 at each side of the central portion and havingtheir peripheries projecting beyond the edges of the central portion andestablishing stoplshoulders 23 at. each side of the=centralportion aWith the above relationship of parts, it willbe apparent that byengaging the-ccntralportion 29 of the :head D into the mounting hookB ofa drapery pin, from the open end thereof, the pin is suitably supportedby the tool and is yieldingly held engaged-thereonby the relationship ofthe 'rearwardly convergent legs i3 and 24 of the mounting-hookgportionon the tool head D. It will also be apparent that the shoulders :23 onthe .head and occurring at each side 'of the central portion 12%thereof, serve to maintain the drapery-pin alignment with the tool Ialso prevent lateral shifting =or-displacement of thegpin fromthe-head'of-the tool. a

In practice, after a-rlraperylpin-has been engagedon the head of thetool-in the manner illustrated-in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, thepoint llofthe pin portion A of the-drapery pin-can'be engaged with adraperyor-the like, whereupon the tool is urged forwardly in thedirection indicated by'the arrow X in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and thedrapery pin is driven or urgedinto desired engagement with the drapery.

After the drapery-pinds engaged in a drapery in the manner set forthabove, the tool can beeasily-withdrawn from engagementwith'the'draperyzpin, there beingsufficient frictional dragbetweenthcipin portion A of the hook and the fabric of 'thedrapery,andsuflicientpgripping action by the drapery pin onthefabric occurringbetween the inner leg 1'3 of the hook B andthezpin shank '11 to preventwithdrawal of the .pin from the drapery by the tool. I

in practice, theangle-of penetrationof a-draperyrpin into a drapery can,by employing the tool of the present invention, be advantageouslycontrolled. in the form of the invention illustrated, Ihave shown thehandle'C of the tool a beingupwardlyinclined as itprojects rearwardlyfrom the head D and so that the handof the operator gripping the toolhandle will occur above and clear of the drapery being worked upon,'whenit is desired to insert the pin inthe manner shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

ln Fi'gs. l'to 3 of the drawings, l have illustrated the head of my toolas'bei'nglformed. so that it can be advantageously engagedinthemountin'g hooks of most standard drapery 'pins, to hold the pins :for.insertioninto a drapery irt'the desired'man'ner. It is'to'beunderstood, however, that, in practice, the head ofthe 'tool'could 'beformed to correspond exactly with one particular'mounting hookconfiguration of a given make or size of drapery pin. In Fig. 4 ofthedrawings, I have shown the tool head D as being the exact or same shapeas the mounting hook B of the drapery pin.

Having described only a typicalpreferred form and application of myinvention,'l do'not Wish to be limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variationsormodifications that may appear to those skille'd'in the art and fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, 1 claim: a

1. A tool adapted to releasably engage and carry a drapery pin having anelongateshankwith apointed front end and a laterally projectingrearwar'dly.openingmounting hook including,an:elongate handle, azheadprojecting forwardly from the handle and having a central portion ofsubstantially the same configuration as the mounting hook and engageablein the inside of the mounting hook on the drapery pin from therearwardly opening end thereof and side portions at the sides of thecentral portion and projecting therefrom to establish shouldersengageable with the sides of the -mounting hook.

2. A tool adapted to releasably engage and carry a drapery pin having anelongate shank with a pointed front and laterally projecting rearwardly.opening mounting hook with inner and outer legs adjacent the rear endincluding, an elongate handle, a head projecting forwardly from thehandle and being of substantially the same configuration as the:interior' of the mounting hookv and engageablc on the hook from theopen rearend thereof, the rear end portion of the legs of the mountinghook converging to restrict the opening therebctween andyieldinglypassing thehead of the inserter when the-hook and the head areengagedand .disengaged and normally yieldingly gripping thehead .whenthe head .is freely ;engaged in the hook.

.3. A tool adapted to releasablyengage and. carry a V drapery pin havingan elongate shank with=a pointer front and a laterally projecting.rearwardly opening mounting hook with inner and .outer legs adjacentthe rearend-including, .an elongatehandle, a head projecting forwardlyfromthe handle and being .of substantially the same-configuration.as'theinterior of the mounting hook and engageable in the hookfrom'the'open rear end .thereof, side portions at the sides of thecentral portion andprojecting therefrom to establish shoulders to occuradjacenttheopposite-sides of the mounting hook engaged on the centralportion and preventinglateral displacement ofthezhook fromthe.head,-therear ,endhportions of the legs of the mounting hook.converging .to restrict the ,opening'therebetween andyieldingly passingthe hood of .the inserter whenathe hook and the head .are engaged .anddisengaged and normally-yieldingly gripping the. head when theheadisfully engagedin: the .hook.

4. Atool adaptedto'releasablyiengage and -carry;a;dr-ap- .ery .pin:having an:elongate shankwith a pointer .front and -;alaterallyprojectingrrearwardly.1openingzmounting.hook WliLh sinner andouter legs Ladjacent the :reanendfinclud- .ing, anelongatehandlep-ahea'dprojecting forwardlyirom the handle. and :beingofsubstantially the same;configuration=as the interior of the mountinghook 'andtengageable in thezhooklfrom the. open -:rear :end thereof,side portions .atithe sides of the central portion .'-'and project ing'therefrom to establish shoulders to occuraadjacent the opposite sidesof the mounting hook engagedonthe "central portionand'prevent lateraldisplacement of the hookfrom-the head the rear end portions ofthe legsof ithe mountinghook converging to restrictithe opening -therebetween'and'yieldingly passing theihood of the' ins'erter' when the hook and=thehead are engaged and disengaged and normally yieldinglygripping'thehead-when the head is fully engaged in-the'hook, the handleprojecting'rearwardly and'- upwardly relative to the --1ong'itudinal axis ofthepin.

References ,Cited in the tile of patent UNITED f STATES "PATENTS 2,692382 'Raph-ael Oct. 26, 1954 :FOREIGN :PATENTS 7 23,983 Great BritainSept. 12, 1912 1911

